September 29th: Painting the Playoff Picture

After 182 days, 2430 games, and six division races, the playoffs are all set to get underway. The Royals are making their first playoff appearance in 29 years, while the Tigers have won four straight division titles. The Angels surged to dominance in the AL West, while the Athletics limped into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The Pirates only narrowly missed the chance to steal the division crown away from the Cardinals, who take it home for the second straight year.

Now, though, getting to October isn’t enough. What happens for the next month will send 9 teams home with nothing, while one team brings home the hardware.

Here is the Major League Baseball Playoff Predictions, brought to you by the ZP: Left Fielder.

AL Wild Card Game

The As will go as far as Lester can pitch them...which may only
be until the 7th.

Oakland As at Kansas City Royals

The As have the starting pitching to make a 5 game series look painful for an opponent, but they only have one shot here. Jon Lester takes the mound against a Royals team that has stuck around all year long. While both Lester and KC’s James Shields will pitch well, this game will be decided in the seventh inning or later. After that, it is the Royals who’s lineup is dominant enough to find their spots, and a bullpen that can seal the deal.

ZPLF pick: Royals

NL Wild Card Game

San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates

The Giants’ starting lineup has been hobbled by injuries, while the Pirates are in full-on attack mode. The Buccos will also see a huge home-field advantage, as the Pittsburgh fan-base has grown rabid about their team. I think this will get ugly early, and the Pirates will cruise to the next level.

ZPLF pick: Pirates

ALDS

Trout has been a megastar every step along the way. Why
not also in the playoffs?

Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels

The scrappy Royals do what it takes to win, while the bashing Angels hit their way into victories. The Royals pitching is good, but not good enough to keep the Angels quiet. The Angels won’t have anything to worry about, in terms of their own pitching. It will do the tirck.

ZPLF pick: Angels

Detroit Tigers vs. Baltimore Orioles

I had written this whole post saying the Orioles would win this series. I had filed it away for publication. Then, I saw the Tigers rotation for this series. I don't know why seeing it in ink (ok, on a screen) had such an effect on me, but I just can't bet against Scherzer, Verlander and Price in a five game series. Those are the three wins you need right there. The Orioles are good, but nobody is as good as the Tigers rotation at their best.

ZPLF pick: Tigers

NLDS

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals

All that I said about the Pirates before stands, but the Nationals are the real deal. Their pitchers have been unhittable, their offense has been consistently dominant, and they seem to have all of the pieces coming into play at the absolute best possible time. The Pirates will walk away from this series knowing they were starting pitching away from greatness.

ZPLF pick: Nationals

Puig will be the difference maker, one way or another.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Yasiel Puig is the secret to this series. People like to say that he will lose two games with base running errors and and gaffes, but he will win the other two with his superstar abilities. Kershaw vs. Wainwright will be fun to watch, and you can never count the Cardinals out, but this St. Louis team isn’t nearly as dominant as the one that played a tough series against the Dodgers a year ago.

ZPLF pick: Dodgers

ALCS

Detroit Tigers vs. Los Angeles Angels

The league's best pitchers against the best offense in baseball. This is the kind of series that will be easy to predict after seeing the ALDS, but I have to go with a high-flying offense. If any team can make Verlander and Price look like they did in August, it is the Angels.

ZPLF pick: Angels

NLCS

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals

These are the two best pitching staffs in the game, and they will square off in absolutely dominant performances. The Nationals are the more offensively clever team, and they will find ways to scratch across runs. Kershaw will be dominant, but he will only win two of the game necessary to make the World Series. The Nationals will represent the Senior Circuit.

ZPLF pick: Nationals

Harper will play a key role in bringing Washington to
the promised land.

World Series

Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Angels

The first team along the road with the pitching to stifle the Angels, the Nationals have the ability to stymie the best hitters in baseball. The Angels will win game one before falling behind 3-1. They’ll get back into it with a win, before going down in Game 6. Nationals win.

ZPLF pick: Nationals

Throughout the year, the Nationals have proven to be a well-rounded team, both offensively and on the rubber. The most successful teams are not the ones with one or two superstars (the Angels) or a lights out ace (the As, Tigers, and Dodgers), but the team that can run a team out every night that will find ways to beat you. The Nationals will put up the 11 “W”s they need to put a big ole’ W on the World Series.

September 28th: Loosiers

Last week, the Indiana Hoosiers pulled off a huge upset against the ranked Missouri Tigers. It was the first win against a ranked opponent in a very long time (lost their last 18 attempts).

Coming off of the win, Hoosier Nation was pumped. Twitter and Facebook activity yesterday showed fans more enthusiastic about their team than they had been in a long time. People were finally banding together around a team that, for the past few years, has been facing a strained relationship between fan base and team.

You see, when the team sucks, fans don't want to invest in them. Yet, when fans fail to get behind their team, they have very little opportunity for success.

That all was supposed to change when a very evenly matched Maryland team came to town. Maryland was just the kind of game that should have been a win, maybe a challenging win, but a win to prove Indiana's toughness. Instead, things got bad fast.

A first half that kept things close showed an Indiana defense that was as bad as it had been a year ago, and an offense failing to make up for it. The second half was a pure blow-out, embarrassing the Hoosiers and sending Maryland to their first Big Ten Conference win.

The sad fact of the matter was that this game was a program defining opportunity. They dropped the ball. They had the opportunity to take an energized group of fans and show them that they were committed to making the program better.

If it had been a close game, a tightly fought contest, it would have been one thing. But it was a lack-luster effort at best, and resulted in a large collection of Hoosier fans walking away before the final whistle blew.

I will always be a Hoosiers fan. But sometimes, I wish the Hoosiers would play like they cared about their fans.

September 27th: NFL Week 4

By week 4, teams are ready to panic about a 1-3 start, or are looking to christen division winners who only have one loss. While it is too early to get excited in either direction, this week is imperative if teams want to keep momentum on their side.

The Zoot Perspective: Left Fielder predicts the outcomes of Week 4 in the NFL:

Giants at Redskins
Apparently Thursday night games are going to consistently end in beat-downs. The Giants look like they may be turning a corner, and in the wide-open NFC East, I can now officially say I'm intrigued. The Redskins may be coming down to earth after thinking they have a new quarterback answer.

Panthers at Ravens
This is one of my picks against the grain this week. While the Ravens sit at 2-1, they're last victory was a last-minute field goal. I can't pick against the Panthers' defense, despite a rough week last week against the Steelers.

Packers at Bears
I think this will be the most exciting game of the week. With division implications for the remainder of the year on the line, the Packers and Bears can't have experienced luck any more differently the past three weeks. The Bears' offense looks good and their defense looks passable, as do the Packers. I'm giving the Bears a home-field edge, but this game will be close.

Bills at Texans
I refuse to believe in the Bills. At the same time, the Texans don't really have a quarterback. This is a case of which team sucks less, and I'll give J.J. Watt credit for swinging things in favor of his team.

Titans at Colts
This week and last are exactly what the Colts needed. Playing in the worst division in the NFL, going 0-2 to start the season doesn't look so bad if they can put the hurt on the Titans like they did last week against the Jaguars.

Lions at Jets
The Jets looked a little impotent last week against the Bears, while the Lions ground out a tough win against the Packers. I expect the same kind of play from both, and see another win for the Lions when the score fewer than 20 points.

Dolphins at Raiders
Being played in London, this game doesn't really deserve much attention. If the NFL actually wants attention from Europe, we could at least send them two teams who have a decent shot at putting up a show. The Dolphins will win this one by default.

Buccaneers at Steelers
I can now say that my early prediction at the success of the Buccaneers has proven totally bogus. They look like a high school team at this point. The Steelers have played six quarters of playoff-caliber football and six quarters of atrocious football. Hopefully this week will shed some light as to what is truth and what is anomaly.

Jaguars at Chargers
Phillip Rivers has been gunning this year, and the Jaguars just haven't been. Blake Bortles will bring some life to the game, but there really isn't anything to look forward to here. The big problem is that the Chargers have lost against a good team, beaten a good team, and beaten a chump team, so we have very little context as to how good this squad is, especially without a running back.

Falcons at Vikings
The Falcons put the hurt on last week, while the Vikings have stumbled after a big Week 1. I expect Matty Ice to continue in fine fashion, and the Falcons to continue their winning ways.

Eagles at 49ers
The 3-0 Eagles have proven that they may come out looking a little slow, but that they will beat you in the fourth quarter. The 49ers have shown that they'll beat you early and let you have the fourth quarter. That doesn't bode well for this outcome. I expect a 45 minute 49ers lead and an eventual Eagles victory.

Saints at Cowboys
Now that the Saints have their first win of the year, the rest of the league should be scared. The Cowboys got a win despite letting the Rams take a big lead, which is something they won't get away with against the Saints. Big D gets a big L, putting them at .500, where they feel most comfortable.

Patriots at Chiefs
Maybe when the schedule was set in the off-season this sounded like a fun prime-time game. Now that things are under-way, though, this looks lack-luster at best. The Patriots have looked like they're going to back their way into the playoffs (a win against the lowly Raiders with only one TD?), while the Chiefs look like a different team than the one that went undefeated for the first 7 games last season.

September 26th: A Night 2 Remember

I’m left-handed. I’ve always taken pride in this somewhat rare trait, even thought of it as an advantage. Always, that is, with one exception.

My first ever baseball mitt was a tiny, dark brown and black glove. Believing in traditional American baseball gloves, my father had bought me a Rawlings (to this day, I will only use an American mitt). Inscribed on the palm was the signature of Derek Jeter.

I remember the day I went into the basement and told my dad I wanted to be a shortstop in Major League Baseball. Try as he might to explain to me why lefties never played short, I took that as a challenge, an opportunity to prove the grit and determination I saw in the man who’s glove I mimicked.

Yesterday, in his 2,745th game, Derek Jeter collected his 3,462nd and 3,463rd hits of his career. How he got there, though, was one of the most magical ball games I’ve ever watched.

To see Yankee stadium focusing completely on the player who made it about the Yankees for so many years brought tears to the eyes of baseball fans everywhere. To see him uncomfortable by the size of the stage was something that no one had ever seen before. And to see him hit an opposite field single to score the winning run in a high pressure moment was just the way it should have been.

When Steve Pearce hit his home run to tie the game last night, you didn’t see Yankees fans hang their heads at the blown save. You saw the spark of knowing that Jeter was coming up in the bottom half of the inning. You just knew, could feel it, that Jeter was going to do what it took to win. He always had.

The single that went into right field looked like it had eyes. Everyone could feel it, as soon as it left the bat. We didn’t need to see it go into right field, need to see the fielder make a throw to the plate, to see the ball skip up and evade the catcher. We knew, from the moment Pearce hit it out, that the baseball gods were setting the table for Derek. It was as if the whole thing was scripted. Except nobody writes better endings than Derek Jeter.

Throughout this season, stat junkies and analysts have attempted to explain why Jeter was or was not the greatest player in the history of the game, the history of the Yankees, or any other such title. Some came away saying he was a transcendent ball-player, with stats to prove it. Others (like Keith Olbermann) attempted to show why Derek may be getting more attention than he deserves.

I have two favorite stats to explain what Jeter meant to baseball. The numbers are 5 and 2. 5 is the number of championships Jeter was able to bring to his team. No other active player has more than 3 rings. The number 2? The number of “meaningless” games, games in which the Yankees have not been in a playoff race, that Jeter has ever played in. One of them was last night, although few would call that game meaningless.

The best way to quantify what Jeter means to the game of baseball is to classify him as a winner. He has, for 20 years, been the symbol for winning, for doing what it takes to get the victory. As he said last night, some have had more talent, but nobody has played the game harder than he has the past 20 years.

Derek Jeter is Mr. November. To me, though, he will always be Mr. Baseball. Jeter has stood for all that is beautiful about this game. He has been the greatest ambassador this came could have asked for, and he has made being a baseball fan a beautiful thing for the past 20 years.

Young fans look out onto the field looking for a hero. It isn’t necessarily right, but it is what it is. Nobody said that athletes should be role models. In fact, if the past several weeks have proven anything, they can be some of the ugliest characters in society. Yet, when you look out on the baseball diamond and see Derek Jeter manning the left side of the diamond, there is a player that I am proud to admire. The way he treats the game, treats the fans, and treats his teammates is a testament to how lucky baseball is to have him.

When the first pitch is thrown next season, baseball will continue to be the world’s greatest game. Yet, at the same time, every fan will know that the game is a little less special, because we will miss #2.

September 20th: NFL Week 3 Predictions

Most of the league sits at 1-1 after NFL Week 2 proved the perity present in football. This week, though, teams are looking to figure out whether their on the cusp of success...or teetering on the brink of mediocrity.

ZP:Left Fielder predicts Week 3 in the NFL:

Buccaneers at Falcons

I think everyone saw the Falcons winning this one, but I don’t think ANYONE saw them doing it like that. Congratulations to Devin Hester on his new record. This Chicagoan is happy for you.

CHARGERS at Bills

The Bills are the least deserving undefeated team, while the Chargers are coming off toppling the champs. This will be a high-scoring affair, at least for the Chargers.

Titans at Bengals

Cincinnati beat two teams with playoff hopes this year, and did it in style. I’ve wanted the Titans to do well all year, but it just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. The division is the Bengals’ for the taking.

Ravens at Browns

I believe the Ravens’ domination last week was more about the Steelers than about the Ravens. That being said, the Browns are a good team to come up next if you’re trying to put a winning streak together.

Cowboys at Rams

As someone who likes and roots for the Cowboys most weeks, I’m excited to see another team on their schedule that will be a relatively easier game to build some confidence. It doesn’t matter how strong the defense is in St. Louis, if you don’t have a Quarterback, you don’t have wins.

Redskins at Eagles

This game will be incredibly interesting to watch if DeSean Jackson plays. If he’s out, it will just be a Philadelphia lashing. Cousins is a better quarterback than RGIII, but Nick Foles as Sproles and Shaddy.

Texans at Giants

This is my upset of the week, even though it’s a small one. The Giants are too talented a team to suck this badly, and the Texans have been very good despite a mediocre quarterback. Let’s see if Eli can’t change his (and the Texans’) luck.

Vikings at Saints

It looks like nothing can go right for Drew Brees this season. He has put up two very good performances, and yet he still sits at 0-2. This week, at home, against the Peterson-less Vikings, this should be an easy W.

Packers at Lions

I would love to pick the Lions in this one, but I can’t. If the Lions had proven last week that they could compete against the Panthers’ stingy defense, I’d be picking them all day. That not being the case, I’m begrudgingly picking the Pack.

Colts at Jaguars

I would say that the Colts’ have had bad luck, but Luck hasn’t been the problem. I think this is the best team without a win. Nothing could be better for them than their first easy win against the Jags. Meanwhile, Jacksonville should start begging for Bortles.

Raiders at Patriots

Oh, poor Oakland. This game isn’t going to be close. The Austin Zoot prediction for a Patriots downfall this season doesn’t include this game.

49ers at Cardinals

It’s a great thing to hear that the Cardinals are 2-0. Last week, the 49ers got out to a big lead against the Bears, only to see it disappear at the hand of Colin Kaepernick. This week, he’ll make things better, rushing for one and throwing for a pair. If Palmer doesn’t play, this won’t even be close.

Chiefs at Dolphins

Without Jamal Charles, this Chiefs team is going to be rough. The Dolphins are my favorite to usurp the Patriots (if that’s possible), so I have to go with the Fins. The Chiefs haven’t caught a break yet. Why would they start now?

Broncos at Seahawks

By far, this will be the best game of the week. After being embarrassed in the Super Bowl, the Broncos have been driven like mad men. This is their chance. I’m no dummy, and you just don’t bet against a determined Peyton Manning. I’m even going to go so far as to say it will be a Broncos win by two or more possessions.

Steelers at Panthers

The Steelers were so bad last week that most fans should have turned off the game. The Panthers, meanwhile, are continuing last year’s success at finding ways to win. This will be a good one, but nothing Cam can’t handle.

Bears at Jets

Geno threw the game winning pass last week, only to have it taken away by his coaching staff. The Bears got away with pulling the upset in a huge come-from-behind win. If the Bears are going to be the team that everyone hopes they are, this will be their coming out party.

September 10th: NFL Week 2 Preview

After the excitement of last Sunday, the Zoot Perspective: Left Fielder takes a look at Week 2 in the NFL, predicting the winners of each game.

THURSDAY:

Steelers over Ravens in Baltimore

- The Ray Rice situation is nothing but a distraction for the Ravens, who will begin their season 0-2 after a disappointing loss to the arch-rival Steelers.

SUNDAY:

Dolphins over Bills in Buffalo

- Both teams won their first game. The Dolphins look to be the real deal, while the Bills may have just gotten lucky.

Panthers over Detroit in Carolina

- Detroit has an intense offense, but the Panthers’ defense can hold them, while Cam Newton will give the Panthers the spark they need on the other side of the ball.

Bengals over Falcons in Cincinnati

- Andy Dalton is playing for his new contract, while the Falcons defense proved they will have to win offensive shootouts if they hope to win this season.

Saints over Browns in Cleveland

- Brees won’t let this team start the season 0-2. Cleveland will look more like they did in last week’s first half than it’s second.

Patriots over Vikings in Minnesota

- Don’t worry, New England fans. The Patriots will right the ship this week against Minnesota. Although the loss last week may be a sign of things to come.

Cardinals over Giants in New York

- The Giants look to be starting another rough year. The Cardinals look to be a tough oponent, and are never really out of things.

Titans over Cowboys in Tennessee

- Jake Locker will pick up where he left off last year, and continue to beat up on a broken Cowboys defense. Romo can’t help them in shoot-outs this year.

Jaguars over Redskins in Washington

- This is the year RGIII has to either make it or flunk out of the NFL. My money is on flunking.

Seahawks over Chargers in San Diego

- Rough luck for the Chargers. Two tough NFC West opponents in the first two weeks. Can’t bet against Seattle, though.

Buccaneers over Rams in Tampa Bay

- I predicted the Buccs would have a good year. Maybe they’ll get the memo this week. Who is the Rams quarterback again?

Broncos over Chiefs in Denver

- The Broncos defense got better. The Chiefs defense got worse. The Broncos will roll to an easy win.

Packers over Jets in Green Bay

- The Packers are playing with a chip on their shoulder, and the Jets are playing lazy after an easy Oakland game the week before. Aaron Rodgers is no Derek Carr.

Texans over Raiders in Oakland

- I like the Texans to rebound, and there is no better way to start the winning than a winning streak against the Redskins and Raiders.

49ers over Bears in San Francisco

- You just can’t trust Jay Cutler. He makes betting on the Bears impossible. Although he is just good enough to surprise you every once in a while…

MONDAY

Colts over Eagles in Indianapolis

- The Colts almost came back to beat the Broncos. They are too good to go down again. And the Eagles proved they were vulnerable last week.

September 9th: More Than Football

We, as sports fans, spend so much time watching, critiquing, and arguing about college students. We talk Heisman trophies, March Madness, College World Series, and more. These 18 to 22 year old men and women provide us with all of the entertainment we could possibly need, each of us living vicariously through them as they try to squeeze as much as they can out of the sports they love.

Sometimes, though, it is too easy to forget that these are students, young people who are betting everything on college. For some, this can come at personal expense. Not all student athletes are on scholarship at the schools they represent.

ESPN ran a great story about college football walk-ons who, through hard work and dedication, earned scholarships to play for their teams. It detailed the difficulties of having to pay their way when their teammates and friends had their experiences paid for.

Having watched it, it is remarkable how these young men were willing to give so much to follow a dream of theirs, and were so overjoyed by getting the opportunity to go to school and play the game they love on scholarship. They are getting the opportunity of a lifetime, allowing their skills on the field to not only provide them with a chance to play their sport, but also to pursue a world-class education..

It may be easy to judge football players as athletes when watching on ESPN. Every once and a while, though, we get the chance to remember that these student athletes are working for so much more than just a victory every week.

September 3rd: 2014 NFL Preview

Not that it ever left Sportscenter, but now, NOW is the time that it is appropriate to get the excitement started for the NFL to return.

One of the best parts about the NFL is that, any given Sunday, any team can beat any other. That makes it especially hard to see exactly how things will shape up as the year goes on. That being said, it’s up to someone to predict what will happen. The Zoot Perspective: Left Fielder is up to the task.

NFC North:

1. Packers: The Aaron Rogers bandwagon is already full. Everyone thinks he’s going to win the MVP. I think the Packers make the playoffs, but get ousted in the first round. It’s a strong team overall, but nothing to hang your Super Bowl on.

2. Bears: Another high-flying offense in the NFC North. More so than any other, though, the Bears will go as far as their defense can take them.

3. Lions: This team couldn’t get out of it’s own way last year. This year doesn’t look like it will be any different.

4. Vikings: Oh, poor Vikings. Adrian Peterson is already trying on other jerseys. It won’t take four weeks for this team to resume it’s irrelevance and see an era of Teddy start.

NFC East:

1. Eagles: I don’t love Nick Foles, but Chip Kelly will love having two of the most explosive backs in football. The rest of this division just isn’t strong enough to put up a fight.

2. Cowboys: The Cowboys get plenty of attention. They just can’t get any wins. I expect they will break their 8-8 season streak, going 9-7, but it won’t be good enough.

3. Giants: The Giants have been diving, and this year looks to be as bad as last. This will be a huge test for Eli, as we see if he’s a good enough leader to right the ship.

4. Redskins: It was easy to blame the issues on Mike Shanahan, but now is the time when fans will discover the Redskins’ issues didn’t end with his tenure.

NFC West:

1. Seahawks: The defending champs have the defense to dominate, the offense to keep them moving, and the attitude to stay relevant in this league. Too much fun to watch.

2. 49ers: The preseason didn’t bode well for the 49ers, but things have been too good for too long for them to let a wonky start derail them.

3. Cardinals: The Cardinals can’t seem to get out from behind the Seahawks and Niners. Once again they will make a statement, and once again they’ll finish just outside of the playoffs. This is a division winner in the East. Alas, not in the West.

4. Rams: Shaun Hill isn’t a NFL starting QB. Sorry, but it doesn’t matter how good this defense is, the won’t be stringing wins together.

NFC South:

1. Saints: One word: Drew Brees. As long as he’s doing his thing, this team is the cream of the Southern crop.

2. Buccaneers: The Buccs are my surprise pick of this year. With Lovie at the helm, this team will make a stand. Not necessarily a playoff run, but we will still be talking about them come December.

3. Falcons: Last year was a fluke. At least everyone thinks so. At the same time, going 4-12 should cause people to pause before betting on the Falcons this year.

4. Panthers: The Panthers were my favorite playoff team from last year. This year, though, everyone in the South got much better, and the Falcons just flat out didn’t.

AFC North:

1. Steelers: Two playoffs in a row without the Steelers was just strange. This year, I don’t think the team will allow it to stretch to three.

2. Bengals: I’ve always believed, at least a little bit, in Andy Dalton. Cincinnati has nothing to worry about, unless four straight early-round bounces is something to worry about...

3. Ravens: This is the team I don’t really know much about. All I know is that one Super Bowl does not make you a super-star, and I don’t have much faith in Flacco.

4. Browns: I’m taking bets for when ESPN starts calling for Manziel. Anyone want to take the 12 minute mark in the second quarter of the first game?

AFC East:

1. Patriots: You heard it here first, folks. I’m predicting this is the year when the Patriots fall from grace. There isn’t anyone to win the division, so they’ll limp into the playoffs, but their dominant streak is over.

2. Jets: If this team had a secondary, any at all, I would have them winning the division. As it is, they will make the Patriots very uncomfortable.

3. Dolphins:This team has a lot to prove, especially after last year’s success. Was it a fluke year, or a winning formula? I tend to believe the former.

4. Bills: If this team moves to Toronto, maybe someone will notice that there is a 32nd team in football.

AFC West:

1. Broncos: With Welker down, the Broncos might not go undefeated. That’s about as bad as it gets for Broncos fans. This team will bide it’s time until they can start turning up the heat in January.

2. Chargers: This team will be in contention, if only because of Phillip Rivers. They are a playoff threat, but once again don’t have the teeth for a long stay in January.

3. Chiefs: Andy Reid wasn’t a fluke. Neither was Alex Smith. But the rest of this team way over-performed last year, so it is not a safe bet to say they’ll do it again.

4. Raiders: Selecting Carr as the starting QB makes this team intriguing to watch, less so because of 2014 implications, but what it can mean down the road.

AFC South:

1. Colts: Perhaps the worst division in football, this team has the hot young stud of the game today, and is on the cusp of challenging for the AFC title.

2. Titans: Everyone forgot about what a good year Jake Locker was having last year before his injury. If he can step back in and perform, this team could be in good shape in a weak division.

3. Texans: Without a quarterback, this team is going to suck. It doesn’t matter how dominant Watt and Clowney are. If you can’t score, you can’t win.

4. Jaguars: The Jaguars will continue to come in last as long as they make bad decisions. Not starting Bortles is a bad decision.

Wildcard weekend:

Steelers over Chargers

Patriots over Bengals

49ers over Packers

Bears over Eagles

Divisional Round:

Broncos over Steelers

Colts over Patriots

Bears over Saints

Seahawks over 49ers

Championship Round:

Broncos over Colts

Seahawks over Bears

Super Bowl:

Broncos over Seahawks

A whole year of football, and we’ll be seeing a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl. The game will be much better this year, though, and the winner will switch spots, bringing the trophy to the Denver Broncos.

Let the games begin!